Germany and the United States are both grappling with what policies to enact—and for how long—to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and the choices made by political leaders will have political consequences. While the debates about the health and economic consequences of the corona shutdown are very similar in content, they are strikingly different in tone—a reflection of the differences in political culture and political competition. Also striking are the polls showing Germans’ perceptions of the lockdown measures and political leadership: 83 percent are satisfied with Merkel’s performance, 90 percent approve of the federal government’s response, and 87 percent support the shutdown measures.
Some of these figures may be fueled by the spread of the coronavirus in Germany—much less that in the United States. Whereas Germany has approximately 160,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 6,000 deaths, the U.S. has over 1 million cases and 58,000 deaths (according to Johns Hopkins University as of April 29, 2020). Germany’s response to the virus is discussed in greater detail in Episode 23 of The Zeitgeist in an interview with Jens Spahn, Federal Minister of Health.
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Jeff Rathke is joined by Dr. Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of AICGS’ Society, Culture & Politics Program. They discuss how the coronavirus is affecting Germany’s politics, including a surge in support for the CDU and decline for both the Greens and the AfD. They look at the looming leadership change in the CDU and consider some of the contenders for Merkel’s successor. They also discuss the role of federalism in the two countries’ responses to the coronavirus, and the fundamental differences between Germany’s style of coordinative federalism versus the U.S.’ competitive federalism.

Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AICGS
Guest
Dr. Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program

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